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The Gallic Invasion of Rome
In the 5th and early 4th centuries BC, migratory Germanic tribes pressured Gallic Celts to
push South in search of new territory. They were likely familiar with north central Italy, from
trade arrangements. The Gauls crossed the Alps en masse capturing and settling Etruscan
territory by force. The Gallic tribes were united only by blood and origin and each maintained
their own kings or warlords. Some of these tribes settled into cattle and cereal farming along
with peaceful cohabitation, but others maintained aggressive policies towards their new
neighbors.
One such tribe, the Senones, was under the command of a Brennus, who led his Celts to
the Etruscan city of Clusium about 100 miles north of Rome. The Clusians were understandably
terrified by the hordes of Celts on their doorstep and sent to Rome for help. Rome, weakened by
recent wars, sent a delegation of three ambassadors, the Fabii brothers, to negotiate the situation.
When negotiations broke down, the Clusians sent an army to force the Senones off the
land. At this point, the Roman historian Livy stated that the Roman ambassadors "broke the law
of nations" (that is, broke their oath of neutrality as ambassadors) "and took up arms" against the
Senones. In the resulting action, Quintus Fabius, an ambassador and a member of a powerful
family, killed one of the Gallic leaders (a chieftain). When the Senones realized that the sacred
trust of the ambassador was broken, they withdrew from battle to discuss the issue.[2]
The Senones sent their own ambassadors to Rome, demanding the Fabians be handed
over to them for justice. Many Romans (especially priests) were sympathetic, and agreed that it
was a breach of the law of nations. However, the Roman masses mocked the priests, and the
Ambassadors were lauded in Rome and appointed Military tribunes with consular powers. This
was a great dishonour to the Gallic delegation and they left the city claiming they would return.
The Senones marched on Rome covering 130km in three days. Surprisingly, they did no
pillaging along the way, shouting at settlements as they past tem that they meant them no harm
and their destination was the city of Rome. On July 18 387 BC, about 24,000 Roman soldiers
faced a Celtic army of about half that number at the Allia, a tributary to the Tiber. This was in
the times before the Roman military had become the well oiled war machine that conquered the
world and was more like a militia comprised of the wealthier citizens in the middle of the battle
cluster, with the poorer on the frontline and flanks – who had to bring their own weapons.
In one of Rome’s biggest militaristic failures the 6 Roman legions were decimated in
battle with more than half slain on the first meeting. The remainder fled into the city, but failed
to close the gates allowing the Gauls to sack the city, rape and pillage till their hearts content, the
whole city’s archive of records and historical documents was destroyed. The remaining Roman
forces took refuge on the Capitoline Hill, a raised fortress that contained the Temple of Juno, on
a steep hill with high walls that was stand-off then occurred as the Gauls considered how to
attack the Capitol.
At this point, the besieged Roman soldiers in Veii needed to get a message to the Senate
in order to reinstate Marcus Furius Camillus as the dictator and general, and so a messenger
climbed a steep cliff the Gauls had neglected to guard. The messenger left with the Senate's
approval, but the Gauls noticed this path onto the hill, and decided to use it to launch a sneak
The Gallic Invasion of Rome
attack at night. But according to legend Marcus Manlius Capitolinus was alerted to the Gallic
attack by the sacred geese of Juno ("the Capitoline geese"), who with a great amount of
squawking and flapping alerted the Romans to their attackers’ position. The Romans then
attacked for their advantageous position and the Gauls sustained severe losses.
The Romans engaged with Brennus for terms that would ensure that the Celts depart and
Brennus apparently agreed to leave Rome for the price of 1,000 lbs. of gold. There are theories
that the Celts were paying heavy tolls from disease, or that there own settlements to the north
were under attack by other Italian tribes. Whatever the reason, Brennus accepted the terms and
agreed to leave. The following passage from Livy, regarding these terms, leaves us with one of
the most famous lines accredited to a barbarian chief in dealings with Rome.
“Quintus Sulpicius conferred with the Gallic chieftain Brennus and
together they agreed upon the price, one thousand pounds' weight of gold.
Insult was added to what was already sufficiently disgraceful, for the weights
which the Gauls brought for weighing the metal were heavier than standard,
and when the Roman commander objected the insolent barbarian flung his
sword into the scale, saying 'Vae Victis-- 'Woe to the vanquished!"
According to some Roman historians, it was in this very moment that Camillus arrived
with a Roman army and, after putting his sword on the scale, replied, "Not gold, but steel
redeems the native land," thus attacking the Gauls. A battle ensued in the streets of Rome, but
neither army could fight effectively in the narrow streets and alleyways. The Gallic and Roman
armies left the city and fought the next day. Camillus' army lived up to his hopes and the Gallic
army was routed.
With the departure of Brennus and his Gauls, many Romans wanted to abandon their city
and move to the nearby city of Veii, but reverence for the gods and the divine will of Roma
alleviated this concern. The Romans obviously decided to stay, and quickly rebuilt the city. The
Romans also began restructuring their military organization: They ceased using the
Greek phalanx style spear and adopted better and more standardized armour and weapons. Many
historians speculate that the Romans learned much about weapons technology and battle tactics
from this run-in with the Senones. Though only a single tribe, the Senones were part of the much
larger culture of Celts (or Gauls) that had more advanced iron-working and close-quarter combat
techniques. Specifically, the Celts/Gauls used heavier long swords and full body shields, which
allowed them to interlock shields for greater defense (a tactic later named "tortoise" (testudo) in
the Roman histories).
The military system that resulted remained the basis of all Roman armies for the next few
centuries, as well as the instrument that made possible the Roman Empire.
The defeat at the hands of the Gauls was the last time the city of Rome was captured by
non-Roman forces until AD 410.